If You Have An API For Your Platform You Are A Stage For Cybersecurity.Theater

30 Sep 2016

Adding to the many reasons you would want, or not want APIs these days, is the escalating cyber war playing out on the web around the world. APIs aren't playing a role in the cyber security realm in the way you'd think, allowing the bad guys, or even the good guys to get into systems, but they are how these actors are spreading information or disinformation about their cyber activities.

Increasingly Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Reddit, and other API driven platforms are being used to broadcast, engage, and study the fast growing world of cyber security. Whether it is the Israeli Defense Force, U.S. Cyber Command, or a 15-year-old hacker in your basement, they are using these API driven channels to broadcast their message, as well as monitor the message of their adversaries, with us analysts following up behind trying to make sense of it all--using the same channels.

Moving forward if you have a platform with an API, you will have a stage for the Cybersecurity.Theater to play out. Actors will use you to tell their story, to communicate, syndicate images, publish their videos, and make their payments. This will scare the shit out of many of you, but for others, it will be an opportunity to sell popcorn and other concession items.

Since "securing cyberspace is a 24/7 responsibility (United States army Cyber Command and Second Army), it will need a 24/7, API driven theater to perform in.